Timetree is built for families and couples who want to share each other’s calendars in detail. Howbout focuses on friend groups who want to quickly see when everyone is available, without having to reveal your entire calendar right away. Both apps combine calendars with chat, but the approach differs significantly.
Timetree in brief
Timetree is a shared calendar app that combines your calendar with communication. You create calendars for different groups: one for the family, one for your relationship, one for your sports club. Everyone sees full details of appointments. You can add memos (handy for shopping lists), upload files, and chat per event. The app works on iOS, Android, and via browser. The free version does contain ads that sometimes play out loud.
Howbout in brief
Howbout revolves around one question: when can we all make it? You share availability with friends without them seeing what you’re actually doing. The app shows a ‘heatmap’ that displays when most people are free. You can start polls for dates and locations, chat per event, and set countdowns to fun plans. Only available on phone, not on desktop. The free version is surprisingly complete, the paid subscription mainly gives access to custom themes.
Timetree vs Howbout: the differences
The biggest difference is in transparency. Timetree lets everyone in your shared calendar see what you’re doing: “Dentist 2:00 PM” or “Meeting until 5:00 PM”. That’s ideal for couples who need to fully understand each other’s schedule, or families who need to know who’s picking up the kids. Howbout only shows that you’re busy, not with what. Your friends see that you can’t make it Thursday evening, but not that you’re going to your in-laws. For social plans, that privacy is often more comfortable.
The planning approach also differs fundamentally. With Timetree you create an appointment and send everyone a notification. Classic, clear. Howbout has polls built in: you throw three dates into the group and everyone clicks what works for them. The app calculates which date works best. That saves endless back-and-forth texting. The Smart Time Matching feature automatically scans when everyone is free and suggests time slots. Handy for larger groups, but for a couple that already shares everything it’s overkill.
Platform support also matters. Timetree works on your phone and via the browser on your laptop. You can add appointments from any device. Howbout only exists as a phone app. Are you at your computer and want to quickly plan something? Then you have to grab your phone. That feels outdated. On the other hand: Timetree’s widgets regularly glitch on iOS, while Howbout’s countdown widgets actually work well.
The free versions differ enormously in usability. Howbout gives almost everything for free: polls, chat, availability sharing, synchronization with your own calendar. You only miss cosmetic options like colors and themes. Timetree’s free version contains fullscreen ads, sometimes with sound. You can’t upload files and miss the vertical week view. Recent users complain that the ads have become more intrusive, probably to push people toward Premium.
The target audience focus is also clearly different. Timetree adds features for households: virtual members for pets or young children, memos for groceries, album features to link photos to events. Howbout introduces Circles for friend groups, Wrapped year-in-review (like Spotify), and timezone support for international friendships. One app thinks about family organization, the other about social planning.
Pricing compared
Timetree Premium costs €3.75 per month with an annual subscription, or €4.49 per month. For that, ads disappear, you can upload files, and you get vertical view. Howbout+ costs €4.17 per month on an annual basis, or €4.99 per month. That mainly gives cosmetic benefits: custom themes, more extensive widgets, and priority support. All core features remain free.
For families and couples, Timetree Premium is almost necessary because the ads in the free version are too intrusive. For friend groups, Howbout+ is truly optional: the free version doesn’t miss anything essential. Do the math on what you pay? Timetree is slightly cheaper on an annual basis (€45 vs €50), but the difference is minimal.
Conclusion
Choose Timetree if you’re running a household, planning with your partner, or need complete calendar transparency. The memos, file options, and web version make it a more complete organizational system. Just accept that you’ll need to pay for the Premium version to avoid ads. Choose Howbout if you’re planning with friends and want to share availability without revealing your entire calendar. The polls and Smart Matching make group planning easier. The free version is more fair, but you’ll miss having a desktop option. For couples, Timetree wins; for friend groups, Howbout clearly wins.
